the wisdom of father brown-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


。　　But　our　own　most　precious　truth　is　the　fundamental　force　of　matter　and　heredity。　　My　books　are　successful；　my　theories　are　unrefuted；　but　I　suffer　in　politics　from　a　prejudice　almost　physical　in　the　French。　　I　cannot　speak　like　Clemenceau　and　Deroulede；　for　their　words　are　like　echoes　of　their　pistols。　　The　French　ask　for　a　duellist　as　the　English　ask　for　a　sportsman。　　Well；　I　give　my　proofs：　　I　will　pay　this　barbaric　bribe；　and　then　go　back　to　reason　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃

　　　　　Two　men　were　instantly　found　in　the　crowd　itself　to　offer　their　services　to　Colonel　Dubosc；　who　came　out　presently；　satisfied。　　One　was　the　common　soldier　with　the　coffee；　who　said　simply：　　〃I　will　act　for　you；　sir。　　I　am　the　Duc　de　Valognes。〃　　The　other　was　the　big　man；　whom　his　friend　the　priest　sought　at　first　to　dissuade；　and　then　walked　away　alone。

　　　　　In　the　early　evening　a　light　dinner　was　spread　at　the　back　of　the　Cafe　Charlemagne。　　Though　unroofed　by　any　glass　or　gilt　plaster；　the　guests　were　nearly　all　under　a　delicate　and　irregular　roof　of　leaves；　for　the　ornamental　trees　stood　so　thick　around　and　among　the　tables　as　to　give　something　of　the　dimness　and　the　dazzle　of　a　small　orchard。　　At　one　of　the　central　tables　a　very　stumpy　little　priest　sat　in　complete　solitude；　and　applied　himself　to　a　pile　of　whitebait　with　the　gravest　sort　of　enjoyment。　　His　daily　living　being　very　plain；　he　had　a　peculiar　taste　for　sudden　and　isolated　luxuries；　he　was　an　abstemious　epicure。　　He　did　not　lift　his　eyes　from　his　plate；　round　which　red　pepper；　lemons；　brown　bread　and　butter；　etc。；　were　rigidly　ranked；　until　a　tall　shadow　fell　across　the　table；　and　his　friend　Flambeau　sat　down　opposite。　　Flambeau　was　gloomy。

　　　　　〃I'm　afraid　I　must　chuck　this　business；〃　said　he　heavily。　　〃I'm　all　on　the　side　of　the　French　soldiers　like　Dubosc；　and　I'm　all　against　the　French　atheists　like　Hirsch；　but　it　seems　to　me　in　this　case　we've　made　a　mistake。　　The　Duke　and　I　thought　it　as　well　to　investigate　the　charge；　and　I　must　say　I'm　glad　we　did。〃

　　　　　〃Is　the　paper　a　forgery；　then？〃　asked　the　priest

　　　　　〃That's　just　the　odd　thing；〃　replied　Flambeau。　　〃It's　exactly　like　Hirsch's　writing；　and　nobody　can　point　out　any　mistake　in　it。　　But　it　wasn't　written　by　Hirsch。　　If　he's　a　French　patriot　he　didn't　write　it；　because　it　gives　information　to　Germany。　　And　if　he's　a　German　spy　he　didn't　write　it；　wellbecause　it　doesn't　give　information　to　Germany。〃

　　　　　〃You　mean　the　information　is　wrong？〃　asked　Father　Brown。

　　　　　〃Wrong；〃　replied　the　other；　〃and　wrong　exactly　where　Dr　Hirsch　would　have　been　rightabout　the　hiding…place　of　his　own　secret　formula　in　his　own　official　department。　　By　favour　of　Hirsch　and　the　authorities；　the　Duke　and　I　have　actually　been　allowed　to　inspect　the　secret　drawer　at　the　War　Office　where　the　Hirsch　formula　is　kept。　　We　are　the　only　people　who　have　ever　known　it；　except　the　inventor　himself　and　the　Minister　for　War；　but　the　Minister　permitted　it　to　save　Hirsch　from　fighting。　　After　that　we　really　can't　support　Dubosc　if　his　revelation　is　a　mare's　nest。〃

　　　　　〃And　it　is？〃　asked　Father　Brown。

　　　　　〃It　is；〃　said　his　friend　gloomily。　　〃It　is　a　clumsy　forgery　by　somebody　who　knew　nothing　of　the　real　hiding…place。　　It　says　the　paper　is　in　the　cupboard　on　the　right　of　the　Secretary's　desk。　　As　a　fact　the　cupboard　with　the　secret　drawer　is　some　way　to　the　left　of　the　desk。　　It　says　the　grey　envelope　contains　a　long　document　written　in　red　ink。　　It　isn't　written　in　red　ink；　but　in　ordinary　black　ink。　　It's　manifestly　absurd　to　say　that　Hirsch　can　have　made　a　mistake　about　a　paper　that　nobody　knew　of　but　himself；　or　can　have　tried　to　help　a　foreign　thief　by　telling　him　to　fumble　in　the　wrong　drawer。　　I　think　we　must　chuck　it　up　and　apologize　to　old　Carrots。〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　seemed　to　cogitate；　he　lifted　a　little　whitebait　on　his　fork。　　〃You　are　sure　the　grey　envelope　was　in　the　left　cupboard？〃　he　asked。

　　　　　〃Positive；〃　replied　Flambeau。　　〃The　grey　envelope　it　was　a　white　envelope　reallywas〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　put　down　the　small　silver　fish　and　the　fork　and　stared　across　at　his　companion。　　〃What？〃　he　asked；　in　an　altered　voice。

　　　　　〃Well；　what？〃　repeated　Flambeau；　eating　heartily。

　　　　　〃It　was　not　grey；〃　said　the　priest。　　〃Flambeau；　you　frighten　me。〃

　　　　　〃What　the　deuce　are　you　frightened　of？〃

　　　　　〃I'm　frightened　of　a　white　envelope；〃　said　the　other　seriously；　〃If　it　had　only　just　been　grey！　　Hang　it　all；　it　might　as　well　have　been　grey。　　But　if　it　was　white；　the　whole　business　is　black。　　The　Doctor　has　been　dabbling　in　some　of　the　old　brimstone　after　all。〃

　　　　　〃But　I　tell　you　he　couldn't　have　written　such　a　note！〃　cried　Flambeau。　　〃The　note　is　utterly　wrong　about　the　facts。　　And　innocent　or　guilty；　Dr　Hirsch　knew　all　about　the　facts。〃

　　　　　〃The　man　who　wrote　that　note　knew　all　about　the　facts；〃　said　his　clerical　companion　soberly。　　〃He　could　never　have　got　'em　so　wrong　without　knowing　about　'em。　　You　have　to　know　an　awful　lot　to　be　wrong　on　every　subjectlike　the　devil。〃

　　　　　〃Do　you　mean？〃

　　　　　〃I　mean　a　man　telling　lies　on　chance　would　have　told　some　of　the　truth；〃　said　his　friend　firmly。　　〃Suppose　someone　sent　you　to　find　a　house　with　a　green　door　and　a　blue　blind；　with　a　front　garden　but　no　back　garden；　with　a　dog　but　no　cat；　and　where　they　drank　coffee　but　not　tea。　　You　would　say　if　you　found　no　such　house　that　it　was　all　made　up。　　But　I　say　no。　　I　say　if　you　found　a　house　where　the　door　was　blue　and　the　blind　green；　where　there　was　a　back　garden　and　no　front　garden；　where　cats　were　common　and　dogs　instantly　shot；　where　tea　was　drunk　in　quarts　and　coffee　forbiddenthen　you　would　know　you　had　found　the　house。　　The　man　must　have　known　that　particular　house　to　be　so　accurately　inaccurate。〃

　　　　　〃But　what　could　it　mean？〃　demanded　the　diner　opposite。

　　　　　〃I　can't　conceive；〃　said　Brown；　〃I　don't　understand　this　Hirsch　affair　at　all。　　As　long　as　it　was　only　the　left　drawer　instead　of　the　right；　and　red　ink　instead　of　black；　I　thought　it　must　be　the　chance　blunders　of　a　forger；　as　you　say。　　But　three　is　a　mystical　number；　it　finishes　things。　　It　finishes　this。　　That　the　direction　about　the　drawer；　the　colour　of　ink；　the　colour　of　envelope；　should　none　of　them　be　right　by　accident；　that　can't　be　a　coincidence。　　It　wasn't。〃

　　　　　〃What　was　it；　then？　　Treason？〃　asked　Flambeau；　resuming　his　dinner。

　　　　　〃I　don't　know　that　either；〃　answered　Brown；　with　a　face　of　blank　bewilderment。　　〃The　only　thing　I　can　think　of。。。。　　Well；　I　never　understood　that　Dreyfus　case。　　I　can　always　grasp　moral　evidence　easier　than　the　other　sorts。　　I　go　by　a　man's　eyes　and　voice；　don't　you　know；　and　whether　his　family　seems　happy；　and　by　what　subjects　he　choosesand　avoids。　　Well；　I　was　puzzled　in　the　Dreyfus　case。　　Not　by　the　horrible　things　imputed　both　ways；　I　know　（though　it's　not　modern　to　say　so）　that　human　nature　in　the　highest　places　is　still　capable　of　being　Cenci　or　Borgia。　　No；　what　puzzled　me　was　the　sincerity　of　both　parties。　　I　don't　mean　the　political　parties；　the　rank　and　file　are　always　roughly　honest；　and　often　duped。　　I　mean　the　persons　of　the　play。　　I　mean　the　conspirators；　if　they　were　conspirators。　　I　mean　the　traitor；　if　he　was　a　traitor。　　I　mean　the　men　who　must　have　known　the　truth。　　Now　Dreyfus　went　on　like　a　man　who　knew　he　was　a　wronged　man。　　And　yet　the　French　statesmen　and　soldiers　went　on　as　if　they　knew　he　wasn't　a　wronged　man　but　simply　a　wrong　'un。　　I　don't　mean　they　behaved　well；　I　mean　they　behaved　as　if　they　were　sure。　　I　can't　describe　these　things；　I　know　what　I　mean。〃

　　　　　〃I　wish　I　did；〃　said　his　friend。　　〃And　what　has　it　to　do　with　old　Hirsch？〃

　　　　　〃Suppose　a　person　in　a　position　of　trust；〃　went　on　the　priest；　〃began　to　give　the　enemy　information　because　it　was　false　information。　　Suppose　he　even　thought　he　was　saving　his　country　by　misleading　the　foreigner。　　Suppose　this　brought　him　into　spy　circles；　and　little　loans　were　made　to　him；　and　little　ties　tied　on　to　him。　　Suppose　he　kept　up　his　contradictory　position　in　a　confused　way　by　never　telling　the　foreign　spies　the　truth；　but　letting　it　more　and　more　be　guessed。　　The　better　part　of　him　（what　was　left　of　it）　would　still　say：　　‘I　have　not　helped　the　enemy；　I　said　it　was　the　left　drawer。'　　The　meaner　part　of　him　would　already　be　saying：　　‘But　they　may　have　the　sense　to　see　that　means　the　right。'　I　think　it　is　psychologically　possiblein　an　enlightened　age；　you　know。〃

　　　　　〃It　may　be　psychologically　possible；〃　answered　Flambeau；　〃and　it　certainly　would　explain　Dreyfus　being　certain　he　was　wronged　and　his　judges　being　sure　he　was　guilty。　　But　it　won't　wash　historically；　because　Dreyfus's　document　（if　it　was　his　document）　was　literally　correct。〃

　　　　　〃I　wasn't　thinking　of　Dreyfus；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　Silence　had　sunk　around　them　with　the　emptying　of　the　tables；　it　was　already　late；　though　the　sunlight　still　clung　to　everything；　as　if　accidentally　entangled　in　the　trees。　　In　the　stillness　Flambeau　shifted　his　seat　sharplymaking　an　isolated　and　echoing　noise　and　threw　his　elbow　over　the　angle　of　it。　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　rather　harshly；　〃if　Hirsch　is　not　better　than　a　timid　treason…monger。。。〃

　　　　　〃You　mustn't　be　too　hard　on